Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition, monthly housing allowance and book stipend for August 2026 to July 2027
Updated October 2026
Tuition and fees = net tuition and mandatory fees (in-state at public schools, or up to $30,908.34 at private, foreign and non-college-degree schools) × your tier. Housing = the E-5 with-dependents BAH for the ZIP where you attend most classes × tier × rate of pursuit, paid monthly; the rate of pursuit is your credits divided by the school’s full-time load, rounded to the nearest tenth, and must be over 50%. Online-only students get up to $1,198 instead of the local BAH. Books = $41.67 per credit, up to 24 credits ($1,000) a year, × tier. Worked example: at the 70% tier, taking 9 credits where 12 is full time, the rate of pursuit is 0.75, rounded to 80%; with a $2,400 BAH the MHA is $2,400 × 0.70 × 0.80 = $1,344 a month, and $11,000 of in-state tuition is covered at $7,700.
| Student | Tuition paid | Rate of pursuit | Housing per month | Books |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public university, in-state, 100%, full time | $12,000.00 | 100% | $2,400.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Private university, $45,000 tuition, 100% | $30,908.34 | 100% | $2,400.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Public, 70% tier, 9 of 12 credits | $7,700.00 | 80% | $1,344.00 | $700.00 |
| Online only, 100%, full time | $9,000.00 | 100% | $1,198.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Half time (6 of 12 credits), 100% | $6,000.00 | 50% | $0.00 | $1,000.00 |
The $2,400 BAH is an example. Look up the 2026 E-5 with-dependents rate for your school’s ZIP on the Defense Travel Management Office site, since VA uses 2026 BAH rates for the whole academic year.
The percentage comes from your total active-duty time: 100% for at least 36 months (1,095 days), a Purple Heart, or at least 30 continuous days with a discharge for a service-connected disability; 90% for 30 to 35 months; 80% for 24 to 29; 70% for 18 to 23; 60% for 6 to 17; and 50% for 90 days to 5 months. No MHA is paid while on active duty, to a spouse using transferred benefits while the service member is on active duty, at half time or less, during breaks, or for correspondence or flight training.
Private and out-of-state costs above the cap may be eligible for added payments through the Yellow Ribbon Program at participating schools. Tutorial assistance pays up to $100 a month ($1,200 total), and a one-time $500 rural relocation payment is available in some cases.
It does not check your eligibility or remaining entitlement, Yellow Ribbon amounts, flight, correspondence, apprenticeship or on-the-job training rates, the Montgomery GI Bill, or transferred-benefit rules. Your Certificate of Eligibility and your school’s certifying official have the binding numbers; VA’s GI Bill Comparison Tool shows school-specific estimates.
Using your own BAH. The MHA uses the E-5 with-dependents rate for the school’s ZIP, not your rank or home.
Going online-only by accident. One in-person class can qualify you for the full local rate.
Dropping to half time. At 50% rate of pursuit or less, housing stops.
Forgetting the tier. Every payment is multiplied by it.